Benjamin bubkin and thompson melville



(No Model.)

B. BURKIN & T. MELVILLE.

DOMESTIC FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 372,596. Patented 0v 1.1887. R F1 2. 1%

UNrTEn STATES BENJAMIN BURKIN AND THOMPSON MELVILLE, OF CLAPTON, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

COUNTY OF DOMESTIC FlRE ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,596, dated November 1, 1887.

A pplieation filed August 2, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we,BnNJnMIN BURKIN and THoMPsoN MELVILLE, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, both residing at Olapton, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented a new and useful Domestic Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is a novel construction and arrangement of portable fire-es- IO oapethat is to say, an appliance which can be suspended from a strong nail or to an article of furniture set close to the window to enable a person to escape and lower himself at the required speed, he sitting in a slip-noose and having hold of handles, by which he can regulate his descent.

The object of our invention we accomplish by the construction and combination of devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation ot'the fire-escape; Fig. 2, an edge View of the same; and Fig. 3, a sectional View of part of a building, showing the fire-escape in use.

In the drawings, the letter A indicates an annularly grooved wheel or pulley, in the groove of which alength of wire or other cable, B, is coiled, said wire B having a loop, 0, at

its free end to enable it to be fastened to a nail, D, in the wall, say at the inside of awindow, or to an article of furniture within reach.

The wheel A, with the coil of wire B on it, is held freely between two vertical cheeks, E

5 E, between which it has a free rotation on its axle-pin. The lower ends of the two cheekplates E E have two crossing bars, F F, on each side pivoted to them. These bars carry brake-rollers G G, preferably cushioned with 0 rubber or other pliable material, which are put into contact with the wheel by the tension of the spring H, and are put into additional pressing contact by the weight ofa person suspended from the lower ends of the bars F F by 5 means of the slip-noose I, this being looped to a crossstrap for centralizing the weight with the apparatus. The upper ends of these bars F F are curved outward, and have handles J J hanging therefrom, which when the person Serial Nor 245,958. (No model.)

descending by the fireescape wishes to increase his speed of descent by pulling on the the handles J J removes one or both brakewheels G G more or less away from the grooved wheelAtoregulatehisdescent. Thewire,leaving the wheel A during the descent of the apparatus, rides against a roller, K, and this prevents the apparatus going aslant or becoming entangled during its rolling on or rolling off the wheel A. By this arrangement a person has only to hook the loop Oto a nail, or attach it to some article of furniture, get into theslipnoose I, drop out of the window, and lower himself, as indicated at Fig. 3.

In constructing this domestic fire-escape I set the pressure of the brake-wheels to the wheel A to bear a strain of twelve stone, the ordinary weight of a man, to descend at a moderate speed without necessitating the handles J J being touched; but for a heavy person whose weight puts additional binding press ure upon the brake-Wheels G G it is easy for him to pull one or both the handles J J, and so lower himself with facility.

The stock L prevents the brake-wheels being moved from actual contact, so that they always act as a brake to obviate a too rapid descent.

\Vhat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A fire-escape'consisting of the vertical cheeks E, carrying the rotating wheel A, the crossing bars F, pivoted to the cheeks and each having its upper end provided with a suspended handle, J, a brake-roller, G, on each bar for acting on the wheel, a cable, B, wound on the wheel, and a noose or strap, I, hung from the lower ends of the bars, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN BURKIN. THOMPsON MELVILLE. Witnesses:

ROLAND Dawson BLOOMFIELD, Notarys Clerk, 19 Change Alley, London, E. 0.

Terms Gnrnsronn RIDGWAY, Notary Public, 19 Change Alley, London, England, 

